VR Online in Rehabilitation Counseling Preparation: An Integrative Pilot Initiative

Abstract

This collaboration involves VR Online research at Wright State (WSU) and the Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling (VRC) Long-term Training Project at University of Southern Maine (USM). The NIDILRR-funded VR Online research team developed and piloted online resources for vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers and counselors using an online portal to meet consumers via videoconference. To address VRC shortages in state VRs and community rehabilitation providers, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) funded Northern New England VRC project which provides graduate education to VR employees in order to increase the number of qualified VRCs throughout the rural northeast. This article will examine a partnership of these two projects to provide training and technical assistance to VRC students during internships, which includes: use of tele-rehabilitation technology in delivering VR services; integration of video conference technology into rehabilitation counselor education (RCE) graduate level curriculum during internship; trainee supervision and preparation applying HIPPA compliant, webbased, video-conference technology; and assessing benefits and limitations using advanced technologies in internship experiences and process considerations to improve VR Online application in practice.